Display-shelf and carpet-elevator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. BESSING & W. A, BARKER. DISPLAY SHELFAND CARPET ELEVATOR.

Patented Mar. .14, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 'T. BESSI'NG & W. A. BARKER.

DISPLAY SHELF AND CARPET ELEVATOR.

No. 493,542. Patented Mar. 14, 1893.

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rrnn STATES PATENT Orrront THEODORE BESSING AND WILLIAM A. BARKER, OFLOS ANGELES,

. CALIFORNIA.

DISPLAY-SHELF AND CARPET-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,542, dated March14, 1893.

Application filed February 18, 1892. Serial No. 422,051: (No model Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THEODORE BESSING and WILLIAM A. BARKER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angelesand State of California, have invented a new and useful CombinedDisplay-Shelf and Carpet-Elevator, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of our invention is to facilitate handling carpets.

Our invention consists essentially in the combination of aload-receiving shelf, an elevator frame arranged to move parallel withsuch shelf, an elevator platform mounted upon such frame and arranged toregister with such shelf; means arranged to move the load to deposit itupon or remove it from the shelf when the platform and shelf registerwith each other, and means for raising, lowering and sustaining theplatform.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our' invention in several forms.

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of elevator with three formsof shelf adapted for use therewith. Fig. 2 shows the tips of the loadsustaining fingers. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of our elevatorprovided with another form of the means for moving the carpet, whichform is the substantial equivalents of the means shown in the otherviews for this purpose. A shelf with carpet thereon is also shown inthis view. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the elevator shown in Fig. 3 withthe exception that the elevator is mounted on a rail as shown in Fig. 1instead of being mounted on the platform shown in Fig. 3.

A A and A indicate load-receiving and sustaining shelves.

B indicates the elevator frame which is arranged on a truck 0 (0) tomove parallel with such shelves.

D indicates an elevator platform.

Suitable appliances or means for raising,

lowering and sustaining the platforms are in-' dicated by the line orcord E arranged to pass over suitable pulleys e at the top of the frameand connected with the winch F, such Winch and the pawl f with which itis provided. Weight cords G G are also provided for this purposeattached to the cord or plat form to assist in elevating it. All theseappliances are of well known construction and no extended descriptionthereof is necessary.

The means for depositing the load upon the shelf and removing ittherefrom may be of various descriptions which I will now describe. Theymay consist in the combination of a horizontally sliding frame Kcomprising a series of load supporting fingers 70 arranged to enter aseries of finger chambering spaces a (a' or a") in the shelf, the shelfprovided with such spaces; means for moving the sliding frame toward andfrom the shelf to insert the fingers into and withdraw them from suchspaces and the means for raising, lowering and sustaining the platform.

It also comprises the combination in an elevator of the class describedof the elevator frame, an elevator platform provided with a horizontallysliding frame K comprising a series of load supporting fingers lo;appliances for raising and lowering the elevator platform and holding itelevated; the shelf or series of shelves provided with a series offinger chambering spaces (a, a, a) means for moving the sliding frametoward and from the shelf to insert the fingers into, and with-draw themfrom such spaces.

The means shown for moving the sliding frame toward and from the shelfcomprise the line L having its ends attached to the sliding frame andpassing thence over pulleys m to the rear of the elevator. The pulleysm, m, are attached to the platform.

The horizontally sliding load-moving device consisting of the slidingframe and the line and pulleys just described and shown in Fig. 1constitute auxiliary means arranged to move the load horizontally towardand from the shelf when the platform and shelf register with each other.In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a modification of such auxiliary meanscomprising movable tongs arranged above aload sustaining platform toperform the function of the sliding frame when the platform and shelfregister.

N (N) indicates the horizontal guides fixed to and forming part of theelevator cage Z and in which guides the sliding platform K (K') isarranged to slide.

The fingers 7c are inserted from rear to front through the twotransverse perforated bars d, d, forming part of the plat-form D. Theyare provided with suitable headsn to prevent them from slipping too farforward, and a latch bar 0, is pivoted to the rear side of the rearperforated bar d and is arranged to be turned into and out of the pathof the fingers so as to secure them in the frame or to allow theirwithdrawal therefrom.

I. P indicate rollers arranged at the ends of two of the fingers toguide them into the spaces in the shelf. A greater or less number of thefingers may be provided with rollers as may be desired.

The auxiliar means shown in Fi s. 3 and 4 for moving the loadhorizontally toward or from the shelf to deposit it upon or remove itfrom the shelf when the platform and shelf register with each other,consist of a pair of tongs Q pivoted to the sliding frame K which iscontrolled by the line in the same manner as the sliding frame K shownin Fig. 1 so that when the platform D is brought flush with the shelf Aas shown in Fig. 4, the sliding frame with the tongs can be moved towardand from the shelf to move the carpet ofi of the shelf onto the platformand vice versa. The top of the platform D (D) is smooth to allow theload to he slid freely thereon. These auxiliary means enable theoperator to adjust the roll and change its position upon the shelf whilethe platform is stationary.

In practice a roll of carpet (R) is placed upon the elevator platform,the elevator is then moved along parallel with the shelf until oppositethe place desired to deposit the roll, and then the appliances forelevating and sustaining the platform are operated to bring the platformto and retain it at the desired height, that is to say;-in case theplatform having the-fingers is used,-until the tops of the fingers areslightly above the top of the shelf. Then the platform is forced forwarduntil its fingers enter or are above the finger receiving or chamberingspaces a. (a', a" with the carpet roll above the shelf. Then theelevator platform is lowered until its fingers are chambered in thespaces a (a, a") and the roll of carpet rests upon the shelf. Then theplatform is withdrawn until the fingers are withdrawn from such spaces.Then the platform may be lowered or operated to take other rolls ofcarpet from the same or other shelves.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 4 the carpet is moved toward and fromthe shelf by means of the line alone as the truck is arranged to run ona fixed rail S and the top of the frame is held against front and backmovement by the top wheel T and rail U which top wheel and rail areshown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the truck consists of a roller supported platform 0'upon which is mounted a suitable base H by means of rollers I and slidesh 0 arranged to allow such base to move toward and from such shelf. Theelevator frame is mounted upon such base and the top rail and trolleyshown in Fig. 1 is dispensed with. The combination forming this base isnot claimed herein as it forms the subject matter of our application forPatent Serial No. 406,467 filed in the United States Patent OlficeSeptember 22, 1891.

0" indicates the guide trolley at the top of the elevator frame inFig. 1. It will be understood that the horizontal guides N shown inFig.4 are attached to the diagonal braces 2, and, with such guides, supportthe sliding platform K.

In operating with the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the arms of the tongsare pushed in between the rolls of carpet on the shelf so as to clampbetween them the roll of carpet to be removed from the shelf. The reararms of the tongs are provided with pawls t which engage a ratchet barit to retain the front arms of the tongs in their closed position; butwhen the tongs are being applied the pawls are thrown out of engagementwith the rack so as to allow the tongs to open to receive the roll. Thepawls may be thrown out of engagement with the rack by the hand or byany other means suitable for the purpose; such means do not form anypartof our invention and illustration is not deemed necessary. Springs Vare arranged to press the rear arms apart to force the front arms towardeach other. Antifriction wheels Ware shown journaled to the ends of thearms to allow the arms to enter between the rolls without catching inthe carpet.

.The several shelves shown in Fig. 1 differ from each other inconstruction. The lower shelf A is formed of a series of slats. Thesecond shelf A consists of a board 12 upon which slat-s c are secured.The third shelf A" has a surface formed of corrugated metal.

No claim is herein made to the combination of the slatted shelf andplatform and an elevator frame arranged upon a base adapted to be movedtoward and from the shelf, as such construction forms the subject matterof our application for Letters Patent filed in the United States PatentOffice, September 22, 1891, Serial No. 406,467.

Now, having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the elevator frame; an elevator platform providedwith a horizontally slidable frame comprising a series of loadsupporting fingers; appliances for raising and lowering the elevatorplatform and holding it elevated; a shelf provided with a series offinger-chambering spaces, and means for moving the slidable frame towardand from the shelf to insert the fingers into and withdraw them fromsuch spaces.

2. In an elevator of the class set forth, the combination of the shelfprovided with the fingerohambering spaces; the elevator frame;

- the elevator platform or cage; the horizontal guides fixed to theelevator cage; the slidable IIO platform provided with the load carryingfin- I suitable heads and inserted through the per- 10 gers, andarranged to slide in such guides; forations in the bars; and the latchbar pivappliances for raising and lowering the plat oted to the rearside of the rear perforated bar. form and holding it elevated; and meansfor moving the sliding frame toward and from the shelf.

3. In an elevator platform of the class de- Witnesses:

scribed, the combination of the transverse JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

perforated bars; the fingers provided with ALFRED I. TOWNSEND.

